Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act

This bill aims to address the significant backlog of veterans' claims appeals by improving the recruitment and retention of legal staff at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). Currently, the BVA faces a backlog of approximately 200,000 cases, which many experts attribute to high staff turnover. The legislation proposes to allow non-supervisory attorneys at the Board to be promoted to the GS-15 pay grade on the federal General Schedule. Currently, these positions are often capped at the GS-14 level, which can lead experienced attorneys to leave for higher-paying roles in other government agencies.

By increasing the potential salary for these attorneys by approximately $10,000, the bill seeks to create a more competitive career path that encourages skilled legal professionals to remain at the BVA. Proponents of the measure suggest that retaining experienced staff would lead to higher quality decisions and faster processing times for veterans waiting on appeals for disability compensation and pension benefits. If enacted, the bill would amend federal law to explicitly permit these promotions, aiming to provide veterans with a more efficient and timely appeals process.